Monday, 18 February 2008

Tropical Cyclone Ivan

Article courtesy L'Express de MadagascarTranslation Google

The passage of hurricane Ivan leaves a bitter taste in Sainte-Marie.
Nine people were yesterday buried beneath the rubble of a hotel. The
town is completely destroyed. Strong winds of 135km / h were recorded.

Ivan has disrupted air traffic and airport tarmacs were almost deserted.

YESTERDAY
Hurricane Ivan leaves bad memories in the town of Santa Maria. He began
at 6 am in the city with gusts of wind of 137km / h destroying several
buildings. The hotel Antsara in the district of Ankirihiry in the Bay
of Antsarahaka collapsed. Nine people were there buried beneath the
rubble. A distress call from one of the victims to his father living in Antananarivo alerted the man in question. "Around 8:30, my
daughter called me to tell me she was with nine people in the rubble of
the hotel, without further details," said the father, contacted by
telephone. According to him, he tried to call his daughter back and
contacting all his acquaintances in Sainte-Marie to no avail. Yesterday,
the telephone networks of Orange and Celtel were down. Residents of
Sainte-Marie were suddenly cut off from any communication with the
outside world. The team from the National Bureau of risk management and
disaster (BNGRC) also had trouble to get in touch with the local
authorities. Yesterday evening, the victim's father knew nothing
of the fate of her daughter. He did not know if relief had reached her
or not. The damage does not stop there because the official report
received from the advance BNGRC indicates a heavy toll.

Several houses were
affected and many trees were felled across the city. With all the
roads, people and the equipment are struggling to move because the sea
is beginning to reach the tarred roads. According to the BNGRC, it
was difficult to receive further information from Sainte-Marie because
SSB radio was also broken.

Heavy toll in the East
Hurricane Ivan has made other victims throughout the island. As in the
Ambatoroka district in the capital, a couple, whose wife is pregnant,
was injured and was transferred to an emergency hospital Ampefiloha. He
was buried under the rubble of a wall which collapsed following the
torrential rains. The couple has fortunately survived despite some
injuries.

After Sainte-Marie, Hurricane Ivan passed through the
town of Ampasimbe district, Fénérive East at 9 am, then in the District
of Vavantenina at noon with winds of 137km / h. It was at 15h in the
district of Andilamena where he also caused enormous damage. As the
destruction of the office of the chief medical officer, a public
primary school and from the stands of the football stadium without
talking about the deterioration of the masts. The regions of
Alaotra Mangoro, Atsinana and Analanjirofo are most affected.

The city of Toamasina I also was not spared by the
passage of Ivan. In addition to the cutting of some streets, the
population is isolated due to lack of telephone communication. Also,
water and electricity were cut during the storm. At the same time, no
earthly connection was possible on the RN2 because movement of
taxis

The official report of
BNGRC advance 60 people homeless in the District of Toamasina I. They
were able to be housed in the building Soavita. At the same time, the
team from UNICEF and BNGRC spoke on emergency relief. Eleven soldiers
of the body of the Civil Protection were dispatched yesterday to unblock the road crossings of the East.

Ivan weakens
The hurricane Ivan crossed many districts. Yesterday around 19h, it was
located in the district of Tsaratanàna with a speed of 15km per hour
and gusts of wind of 150 km / h. Although its strength weakens, the
weather service to Ampasampito provides that the hurricane could move
in the district of Anjozorobe, north of the capital. The toll could
worsen in the affected districts over the next few days.